PEORIA, Ariz. — Cole Garner, whose previous claim to fame will be listed in the next paragraph, is schedule to hit third in the Rockies’ lineup today vs. the Padres.

But about that previous claim to fame … Garner, a non-roster invitee to spring training, caught the scouts’ eyes in high school, where he was a teammate of Ian Stewart at La Quinta High in Westminster, Calif.

Stewart was drafted in the first round in 2003. Garner had to wait until the 26th round. He played at Double A Tulsa last season, where he hit .288-16-64 to merit an invitation to camp.

Little did he know he would be in the three hole vs. San Diego. Jim Tracy likes to do that kind of thing just to see how young, relatively unheralded players will react.

The Rockies’ lineup, which, for the record, we would have gotten you an hour or two ago if not for some unwelcome internet issues:

1. Eric Young, Jr., 2B

2. Dexter Fowler, CF

3. Cole Garner, RF

4. Troy Tulowitzki, SS

5. Miguel Olivo, C

6. Michael Paulk, 1B

7. Matt Miller, LF

8. Jonathan Herrera, 3B

9. Jorge De La Rosa

The Padres’ lineup:

1. Tony Gwynn, CF

2. David Eckstein, 2B

3. Adrian Gonzalez (no, he hasn’t been traded to the Red Sox yet, but give the front office time), 1B

4. Chase Headley (Colorado’s Own), 3B

5. Kyle Blanks, LF

6. Will Venable, RF

7. Nick Hundley (no relation to Randy, Cubs fans), C

8. Everth Cabrera, SS

9. Kevin Correia, P

So there you have it. Let’s play two? Um, let’s not. It poured all morning in Arizona and we’ll be lucky to get one in. Yours in all things ball, JA

TUCSON — Melvin Mora began his career as a center fielder, made his mark in the big leagues at third base, and now finds himself a utility infielder with the Rockies.

Did I say utility infielder? Make it utility player. By season’s end, Mora could play every position on the diamond except first base, catcher and pitcher.

Unless, of course, the Rockies find themselves on the wrong end of a blowout loss. Then Mora is ready, wink-wink, for an inning or two on the mound.

“I’ve got a good breaking ball,” he said.

Mora brought five gloves to spring training and has already used two in Cactus League games. He has played once at third base and once in left field, and is in the lineup again at third for the Rockies’ split-squad game vs. the Diamondbacks today at Hi Corbett Field.

Mora, a two-time all-star third baseman with the Orioles, is hitting fifth in the lineup. Here’s a look at the entire lineup, hot off the presses, so to speak. Or at least straight from Jim Tracy’s office:

TUCSON — A simple game of catch turned more complicated than the Rockies wanted Saturday.

Rafael Betancourt, who has been behind schedule in Tucson after falling ill in the weeks preceding spring training, played catch but shut things down early because of tightness in his right shoulder.

“I was able to throw the ball better than two days ago, but it’s still not right,” said Betancourt.

Betancourt was scheduled to meet with the Rockies’ medical staff later Saturday for what team officials are calling inflammation in the shoulder. Where Betancourt goes from here is anyone’s guess.

The coaching staff had hoped to get Betancourt nine innings of work in Tucson, but GM Dan O’Dowd said that number probably will be adjusted to five or six. But at the moment, Betancourt isn’t close to getting on the mound against opposing hitters.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” said Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca. “He was basically right out of bed when he came down here, and you can’t rush the progress of getting an athlete in condition.’

“There’s no timetable. We go on his timetable. His body will tell him when he’s right.”

Betancourt wasn’t the only Rockies player with phsyical issues Saturday. Todd Helton was told to stay home because of flu-like symptoms.

Also, for those making the trip to the Valley tomorrow, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and second baseman Clint Barmes are scheduled to play against the Angels in Tempe. Ubaldo Jimenez will start that game, and throw three innings with Miguel Olivo catching. Jeff Francis starts across the interstate in Scottsdale against the Giants with Chris Iannetta catching. He’s slated for two innings of work, his first since Sept. 12, 2008.
Here is a look at the scheduled pitchers for the next few days:

The Rockies enter the '10 season with an 84-game over-under in Las Vegas. (Hyoung Chang photo, The Denver Post)

The Rockies, according to the linesmakers at the Las Vegas Hilton’s Superbook, the largest sports book in the world, are the 10th- best team in the Major Leagues.

The Hilton has posted its over/under win totals for 2010 and the Rox are 10th — fifth in the National League — at 84. The Yankees were ranked No. 1 at 95.5 followed by the Red Sox at 94.5. The top team in the N.L.? That would be the Phillies at 92.5

Next on the N.L. list? The Cardinals at 88, the Dodgers and Braves at 85.5 and the Rox at 84.

Chris Iannetta and the Rockies could face a beehive in the NL West. (Hyoung Chang photo, The Denver Post)

Tucson — Memo to Rockies fans near and far: Hold on tight. The National League West race figures to be one wild ride in 2010.

How do we know? We don’t. Not, you know, officially. But the boys in Vegas think it will be and that’s good enough for us.

We take you almost live to the Las Vegas Hilton’s Superbook, the world’s largest sports book, where the linesmakers just posted the over/under season win totals for Major League Baseball.

The Rockies stand at 84, just behind the Dodgers (85.5) in the NL West. Then you have the D-Backs and Giants at 82.5, followed by the Padres at 71.5.

Meanwhile, on the odds-to-win-the-division board, the Dodgers are favored at 9-5, followed by the Rox at 5-2, the Giants at 3-1 and the D-Backs at 7-2.

Add it all up and you have what Vegas believes will be the most hotly contested division in the industry. To wit: The West is the only one among baseball’s six divisions to have four teams at 7-2 or lower.

The highest win total on the board? Duh. That would be the Yankees at 95.5, followed by — repeat duh reference — the Red Sox at 94.5. The lowest total belongs to the Pirates at 69.5, just behind the Nationals at 71 and San Diego and Toronto at 71.5.

So will the Rockies cover 84? Ask me on May 1 after I’ve had a chance to see them in April, when they historically play like the Jamaican bobsled team.

TUCSON — Pitcher Greg Reynolds mummified his right elbow in ice all day and last night to reduce the swelling. But as a precaution the 24-year-old snake-bitten right-hander left the clubhouse this morning to get X-Rays. The area just above Reynolds’ elbow ballooned up after he was struck by a line drive from Jeff Kindel’s bat. He won’t be pitching for a few days.

“It’s sore. It’s going to be a few days to get the swelling out before I can throw again,” said Reynolds, who was scheduled to to throw two innings Friday against the San Francisco Giants. “I never even saw the ball. It’s just one of those things that happens.”

Right fielder Brad Hawpe was moving around better this morning, the infection in his right big toe cleared up. Hawpe had the ingrown toe nail removed last week — “I wouldn’t recommend it,” he said — and thought he would fine. But the toe became infected, turning red and sore. The pain has subsided, and Hawpe could test it by running today.

Center fielder Dexter Fowler wasn’t in the clubhouse this morning, making it likely that he will another day of practice with flu-like symptoms.

The pitching matchups have been set up for the first week of spring training, though Reynolds’ replacement hasn’t been announced. A look at the schedule:

TUCSON — Greg Reynolds slumped toward the clubhouse Monday afternoon, a grimace creasing his face. The star-crossed right-hander was hurt, suffering a bruised right elbow after getting smoked by a line drive in live batting practice.

Asked if he would miss his scheduled Cactus League debut Friday against the San Francisco Giants, “More than likely.”

He was slated to pitch two innings in Scottsdale, following Jeff Francis and Esmil Rogers. The Rockies already adjusted their Thursday schedule, removing Rafael Betancourt, who is still building strength after battling a three-week illness leading up to spring training.

Reynolds said he didn’t think anything was broken. His arm was wrapped in ice above his elbow, and he was being monitored by the training staff. It’s just the latest incident of bad luck for the former first-round pick. He made just one start last season, sabotaged by a rare shoulder problem that caused a popping sound when he threw. It was corrected through surgery this winter, and Reynolds has been encouraged by his progress this spring. His chance to impress, however, will have to wait as the swelling goes down in his elbow.

TUCSON — Reliever Rafael Betancourt’s noticeably trimmer physique came at a price. Turns out he lost 10 pounds while battling a virus over the winter. It left him unable to work out from Dec. 27 to Jan. 19. As a result, Betancourt asked to be scratched from Thursday’s spring training game so he could build up more strength in two more live BP sessions Tuesday and Friday.

“I felt like I would have been rushing it, and I don’t to risk an injury this early in camp,” Betancourt said. “We will see how I feel after BP, then get into a game from there.”

Jorge De La Rosa will pitch Thursday in Betancourt’s absence against the Diamondbacks, picking up two innings behind starter Jason Hammel.

Also, outfielder Brad Hawpe will take it easy the first few games. He had ingrown toenail late last week, and as with most players, it makes no sense to push the envelope at this point. He’s beginning baseball activities today, leaving him on schedule to play in games probably this coming weekend.

Footnotes
Jeff Francis was beaming when he walked into the clubhouse today following Canada’s Olympic gold medal win. “I am walking two inches off the ground,” he said. … Jay Payton on playing in today’s intrasquad game at 12:30 at Hi Corbett Field. “I need all the at-bats I can get.”

TUCSON — Manager Jim Tracy began the strategic aligning of his rotation on a soggy Sunday at Hi Corbett Field, setting up the matchups for the first three Cactus League games. Ace Ubaldo Jimenez is not throwing Thursday’s first game or the split-squad against the Giants, a move designed to keep him in a line for opening day, while also avoiding giving San Francisco any additional looks at the right-hander. Jeff Francis will throw Friday against the Giants, instead, with pitching coach Bob Apodaca there to monitor his outing.

Jimenez is scheduled to work three innings, not the customary two, because “he’s farther along than anyone else in camp after pitching in winterball,” Tracy explained.

TUCSON — It’s at this point in the morning, I like to give a written cup of coffee to the loyal readers. A pick-me-up of quotes or anecdotes gathered from the morning clubhouse session. That’s a problem today. The clubhouse was closed for drug testing, and there is so much rain around the ballpark that Noah’s Ark is double-parked on East Camino Campestre.

This 41-degree morning was already going to different before the random urine-in-the-cup exercise. It’s photo day. So players, beginning at 7 a.m., are run through a series of stations of poses, clicks and snaps. The order is based on service time. So Todd Helton and Jason Giambi both received the latest assignments, approximately 8:45 a.m.

As for the practice plan, there is an adjusted one. The Rockies will get minimal work in the batting tunnels, where guys can hit and throw. So that part won’t suffer much, but fielding is problematic.

The Rockies are supposed to hold an intrasquad game tomorrow at Hi Corbett, featuring many of their young pitchers. That could be in danger if the faucets don’t turn off soon.

Gotta say every time a ballpark gets drenched like this, I always think of the “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey” skit on Saturday Night Live. Forgive me if I am a bit off, but it goes something like this.

A father and son are watching it pour and the boys asks, “Why does it rain?” Dad responds, “That’s God way of crying.”

The boy follows: “Why is God crying?” The Dad: “Probably because of something you did.”

TUCSON — Manuel Corpas’ tweaked right hamstring will get a test today when he throws batting practice. Normally, Corpas throwing light BP wouldn’t be a big deal. But let’s be honest, the friendly right-hander needs to have a good camp. If he can even be a hint of what he was in 2007, the Rockies’ bullpen could be a nightmare for opponents. Getting off to a good start would help.

Unlike last winter when he lived in Denver, Corpas changed up his offseason routine. He worked out in Bakersfield, Calif., pitched in winterball then fine-tuned for spring training by working out at the Rockies’ Dominican academy.

A few notes from around the NL West to nibble on for breakfast:
• According to The Arizona Republic, Dan Haren is already looking for ways to avoid his annual second-half slide. He had a 2.01 ERA in the first half and a 4.62 ERA after the break.
• ESPN had a long story about the Kung Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval. He has been challenged in “Operation Panda” to lose weight, but it’s not working out real well. He’s around 255 pounds. He reported last year at 262 pounds. All I know is the guy to flat out rake. But for the longevity of his career, it would help if he was lighter.
• The Los Angeles Times has a piece on James Loney reporting to camp leaner after working out with Carl Crawford, among others, in the offseason.
• The San Diego Union Tribune has a lengthy feature on Everth Cabrera, a Rule 5 acquisition from the Rockies’ last year, who impressed in his rookie season.

No, Ubaldo Jimenez, the author of the above quote, didn’t sign a new multi-year contract Friday. He signed his contract with Topps trading cards, pocketing $500 for his efforts.

Yep, that’s the number: $500. That’s what Jimenez got, and it’s what every other Rockies player got.

“Whoever you are, Derek Jeter or anybody else, it’s 500 bucks,” said Joe Ribando, Topps’ director of player licensing, as he worked the Rockies’ clubhouse Friday morning. “We have a contract with the Players Association.”

Five hundred for a multi-millionaire ballplayer? Does Ribando ever get any complaints?

“About 10 percent,” he said. “But these guys (Rockies players) have been great.”

Former Rockies general manager Bob Gebhard at Coors feild in 1997. (Brian Brainerd, The Denver Post)

TUCSON — If you’re a longtime Rockies fan, I don’t have to tell you who Bob Gebhard is. But you may not have heard that Gebhard — Geb, to everyone in the game — suffered a heart attack Wednesday in Tucson.

If you don’t know Geb, he was the Rockies’ first GM, the man who did the heavy lifting in the early days of the franchise, back before the humidor, when sustaining quality starting pitching was a mission impossible.

You know the waterfall that erupts at Coors Field after every Rockies home run? They call it Geb’s Geyser because it was his baby. The hand-operated scoreboard? Geb’s idea.

I could go on and on about Geb’s impact on the Rockies, back then and still today. But I’d rather just leave you with this: He’s one of my favorite guys in baseball for more reasons than I can count. I was the Rockies’ original beat man for The Post, and he made a tough job fun.

These days, he’s a special assistant to Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes. Word Thursday was that he was resting in a Tucson hospital.

Brad Hawpe reacts after striking out while swinging against the Arizona Diamondbacks to end the first inning on Friday, Sept. 4, 2009. (David Zalubowski, The Associated Press)

TUCSON — Spring training can bring the pain. Especially the first few weeks as players ramp up batting practice and conditioning drills. Even their feet and back hurt from standing in cleats. It’s all part of getting ready for the season. No complaints. Just a necessary ritual.

Then there was Brad Hawpe. He elected, like a lot of other players, to sit out today. But the difference was that he showed up at the ballpark and didn’t work out. The reason? He had an ingrown toenail. What, a root canal wasn’t available?

“It was painful. I can run now. I will be fine. I remember (former catcher) Danny Ardoin had one removed and played that same day,” Hawpe said.

With pitchers a week into drills, there are more ace bandages and ice packs strapped to shoulders and legs. I told Tim Redding that he looked like a mummy, to which he responded, “I feel like Paul Phillips.” A catcher’s favorite day of spring training is the first. The knees never feel better.

Footnotes
Troy Tulowitzki wore a bright purple shirt during optional BP that read “Jesus Loves the Rockies.” … Several players used today as a chance to take a break, golf, etc. … Manager Jim Tracy will address the entire team around 10:30 tomorrow. As he told the pitchers and catchers, he will stress that they should embrace expectations and challenge themselves to improve though the daily drill work.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa works out with a medicine ball during baseball spring training in Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. (Ed Andrieski, The Associated Press)

TUCSON — Manager Jim Tracy has been struck by the transformation of Jorge De La Rosa. He said there’s no comparison between the pitcher’s appearance this spring and last February. The numbers support that assertion. De La Rosa has dropped from 231 pounds to 213.

“I feel better at this weight,” said De La Rosa. “I just did it by eating a little better and working out.”

De La Rosa has also turned heads with his performance. His bullpen sessions have featured much better command, according to Tracy, and pitcher Aaron Cook named De La Rosa the Most Improved Player based on his bunting and fielding.

Everyone has reported following the arrival today of Melvin Mora and Jay Payton. Mora said he weighed offers from the Rangers and Seattle before accepting the Rockies’ offer to be a utilityman.

TUCSON — Never. That’s how many times the Rockies have had a player like Jason Giambi on their club.

How many bench players have their own private plane and help run a Las Vegas nightclub at the Hard Rock? Such is life for Jason Giambi, who is thrilled to be back with the Rockies. I ran into Giambi this morning as he was heading into the clubhouse. I immediately asked what made him come back to Colorado after talking with Minnesota about a DH job?

“Initially, I wasn’t sure there would be enough at-bats here. But after talking with (manager Jim) Tracy and Todd (Helton), I realized it could work. Todd needs a few more days off to have his strength at the end of the year,” Giambi said. “So with him on board, it was an easy decision. I love the guys here.”

Jerry Schemmel, the new radio voice for the Rockies, will depart for spring training in Tucson on Wednesday.

The longtime voice of the Nuggets (17 1/2 seasons) is returning to his first love. In fact, Schemmel loves baseball so much, he coached Metro State College for a season. He also spent a summer calling minor-league games in Billings, Mont.

As part of The Denver Post’s new feature called “Fan Mail,” Schemmel will take readers questions on all things Rockies and Nuggets. If you have a question for Schemmel, go to fanmail@denverpost.com. If you want to find out about his home run call, his view of the Rockies or have questions about the Nuggets as they head toward the playoffs, this is your chance.

Schemmel’s life is an inspiration. On July 19, 1989, Schemmel boarded United Airlines Flight 232, originating in Denver and bound for Chicago. An in-flight engine explosion crippled the plane and forced it to crash land in Sioux City, Iowa, killing 112 of the 296 onboard.

After the tragedy, Schemmel authored the book, “Chosen To Live.” It chronicles the crash of flight 232 and its subsequent effects on his life. The book has been featured in such publications as Reader’s Digest, Hoop Magazine, Sports Spectrum and Guideposts.

Tucson — OK, so you’ve been shoveling to your heart’s content in the past week and you really don’t want to hear how, quote, unquote cold it’s been in Arizona.

Well you’re going to hear about it anyway, pal.

The temperature barely hit 50 on Monday for the third consecutive day. It’s raining as I type this. Tomorrow figures to be more of the same.

I only mention it for two reasons. First, everyone in camp is blaming me for the lousy weather. Seems it was mid-70s and sunny for most of last week, and turned to 50s and rainy when I rolled in on Friday.

And you thought I was one big ray of sunshine.

The players can’t wait for the heat to arrive, but many are just glad to be in the desert and not stuck inside, away from the cold. Case in point: Taylor Buchholz. He lives in suburban Philly, which, like the rest of the East Coast, had been pounded with record snowfalls in the weeks before he headed for Tucson.

“When I left, the snow was up to here,” said Buchholz, pointing to his left shin.

Buchholz, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year, shoveled his way out of the first major dump. But when the snow kept coming, he farmed out the job. Such is life for major-league players.

“Here I am coming off surgery,” said Buchholz. “The last thing I wanted to do was tweak my back. You’ve got to be extra careful about stuff like that.”

Buchholz doesn’t have to worry about shoveling snow in Tucson. Now if he could just do something about the darn rain …

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.